I Do Not Own InuYasha


Aienkien

合縁奇縁

A couple strangely but happily united;

Uncanny relationship formed by a quirk of Fate;

The mysteries of attraction and relationships or bonds between people


II: 4


Year 1581...

Somewhere near Hotakayama, Japan...

Rin knew they sent Kohaku after her, no way Kagome wouldn't see that as a necessary action. It didn't matter, A-Un outclassed Kirara in flight. They made it to Tōtōsai's forge when the moon was high, and she could feel the heat radiating. Bakusaiga was on her hip, the pulse was a comfort to her, even as she fingered the kaiken in her sleeve. The old smith was working hard, and focused, which was why she decided to draw Bakusaiga.

When it came to Tōtōsai and Myōga they always seemed to hold back with her lord. Bokusenō had once said it was because they were still bound by blood to the will of Tōga which had yet to be fully carried out. But Rin did not care about the will of Tōga, the fool was dead, her lord was not, and she would do whatever was needed to save her lord, which was why she had drawn Bakusaiga and merely rested the edge of the fang against the old yōkai's neck.

This seemed to have his immediate attention as she held the fang how her lord had taught her and felt ready to strike him down if he did not aid her.

"From here I could remove your head in one swing," she stated, and the old smith slowly turned to face her. His work was halted. "How do I save my lord?" she snarled lowly.

"What has…" he started.

"I would advise you not to play fool with me Tōtōsai," she warned. "I am running out of patience and time."

"What has happened?" he asked.

"Magatsuhi marked my lord, I need to know how to remove that mark," she stated as she pulled the fang from his throat.

"I see, so that time has come," he sighed. "Many years ago Tōga encountered a soothsayer who had warned him that Sesshōmaru would be touched by the greatest and purest of evils. It was advised that when this time came I give this to the one who was pure and to tell them to seek out the one called Naohi," he said.

"And who is Naohi?" she demanded.

"The only one to stand against Magatsuhi, for eons they have battled for the heart and soul of humanity and yōkai alike, they were bound together in the Shikon no Tama, at a great price with Midoriko's life and the life of the daiyōkai Watasumi."

"The Shikon no Tama doesn't exist anymore," Rin pointed out.

"Spirits do not die, they are merely reincarnated, you will need this to find what you seek," Tōtōsai said as he produced a black pearl. Rin stared at the simple pearl. "Much like Kuroshinju though be careful with it, girl, for it will take you well beyond where you need to get to if you are not wary. Unlike Kuroshinju though this will take you to exactly when you need to be, it will be up to you though to find what you seek," he said as he threaded it. Rin accepted the pearl, looking at the small bead, it wasn't very large, nor the prettiest pearls she had ever received, but it was very beautiful.

"I warn you though, be careful what you are after, and be sure of your intentions of the path you will walk, for your intentions will have ramifications if you are not wary," Tōtōsai said.

"Where do I go to speak find Naohi."

"Honekui no Ido, were the bones of millions of yōkai are lost still and InuYasha and Kagome sealed the Shikon no Tama's remains."

"Very well," she nodded. Slipping Bakusaiga into her obi she went to A-Un. Mounting the dragon she kicked him into motion gently, though the beast understood her urgency and took to the skies with rapid ease. They flew past Kohaku; who shouted for her, but she spurred A-Un on as they raced back for Edo.

Coming from this side she would be reaching her lord soon, she would do a final check on him then she would head to the well. They had barely made it to InuYasha's forest when she felt this hit, she gasped as she was knocked from the sky, off A-Un and sent plummeting to the ground. A scream tore through her as she curled up, crashing through the trees, and then she stopped suddenly at the tips of the grass before she was dropped. Rin sat up slowly as she looked around InuYasha's forest.

She turned to go for the village, her lord needed her, when there was a tug on the pearl around her throat which had her clawing at her throat as she staggered back, she didn't even make it three steps more when there was a massive glow as the trees parted for her and she found herself looking at the well. It's light radiated, and she felt Bakusaiga pulsing at her hip before she was set stumbling for the well, tripping over her bare feet as she hit the lip of the well. Gasping for air she struggled against the pearl around her throat as it seemed to drag her into the well.

She felt a thread tugging on her left hand and she looked down in time to see a red thread on her little finger before she lost all hold on the well and was sent tumbling into the mysterious light and darkness that swirled there. Rin screamed for a minute before she felt like she was suspended in air, weightless, neither falling nor floating, suspended.

Bakusaiga pulsed and she looked at her fang then at her hand where the red thread was bound to her small finger, and it wrapped around her, winding it's way tightly around Bakusaiga before she was sent falling. Rin gasped as the red thread vanished and she was slowly lowered onto the ground again. Looking around she was very confused as to what had happened and felt the drops of rain on her head. Tilting her head back she looked up the cloudy sky, that was odd, she thought.


Year 1308...

Somewhere in Kyoto, Japan...

It was faint, it was barely there, concealed by the rain no doubt, but it was there, it drifted over the air, and it had his attention.

He had sent Sesshōmaru south so his son wouldn't keep his obsession with the well going, but Tōga had been curious about it. Now her scent filled the air, and he felt his lips twitching as he pulled Sō'unga and stalked to the clearing in the forest. She pulled herself up, out of the well just enough that he recognized that face, he pulled Sō'unga as she continued hoisting herself up. She was in a bloody set of tattered silks, once she was out of the well, swinging her bare feet down to the ground he flew at her, catching her by her throat as he slammed her into a tree. He smiled when he scented her blood, and saw a startled set of brown eyes staring back at him as she gasped for air.

"You will perish human," he snarled. He gasped when she slammed a weapon into his arm, it's reaction was like taking a hit from his son's claws which had him hissing as he dropped her. She kicked his feet out from under him before she came around slamming her knife in his thigh as she got to her feet and ran, he was rolling and shifting forms. Gnashing his teeth he barely missed her as she leapt into a tree, the human was as skilled as a yōkai, catching a tree branch to his snout he hissed as she slashed her blade again and continued running. She didn't slow, but he skidded as she came to the human boarder, leaping off the boulders she had skillfully scaled before diving in.

Tōga watched for her body to raise from the surface, but didn't see her, he hoped to Kami that she was dead this time. He snarled a little when there was a scent of coming humans. Retreating back to his forest he looked at the well she had come out of, then leapt down it.

At the bottom of the well there was nothing but a hair piece, female, delicately crafted, it looked like a piece he would have gotten for his own mate. Kimi had a fondness for pretty things, though he despised looking for them. Picking up the piece he was stunned to see the true colors of it in this weak, morning's mist, it was made of tiger's eye, there were emeralds and sapphires in it too with a delicate couple of pearls added to dangle from her hair. It was a lovely piece. The startling part was it was made of ivory, and seemed to be carefully carved, by a yōkai. It was not work he had seen, but he could see the delicate etchings of a pattern, something like the night sky, there was a crescent moon on it, which had Tōga frowning.


Rin gasped for air when she broke the surface, her body was trembling as she dragged herself to shore, falling in the mud, and panting. Her body burned from the attack, and her head was throbbing, her hair was matted around her, obscuring her view, and she was trembling violently as the rain gently fell over her. She had fought, she had been stunned though.

His eyes, those were her lord's eyes, Sesshōmaru's eyes in shape and color, and they were filled with absolute loathing directed at her. She had never actually seen that look in her lord's eyes, Sesshōmaru had always given her a different look, but she was aware that he had once looked at everyone like that.

That had been an Inu Daiyōkai, she knew them well, she had also seen that he was very similar and different from her lord. Where the hell was she? She wondered, because she had never seen that inuyōkai before in her life! Still, something about him had nagged at her.

It didn't matter though, she could feel the violent chills wracking her body now, she was drenched, she was hurt, she could feel the blood seeping from the back of her head, and she was alone.

"Sesshōmaru-sama," she whimpered, desperately reaching through their magic link for him. He might be hurt, but at least she felt him, she felt her eyes growing heavy as the world wavered. She felt his shock, and she felt the world disappear as she faded off in the black that was so welcoming.


Year 1581...

Edo, Japan...

InuYasha ran out of his hut when he had heard Rin scream, he was stunned to see her plummeting towards the trees. Rin was a brilliant rider, whether because she was taught on a dragon or because she just had this way with wild creatures, InuYasha could count on a single hand how many times he had witnessed her fall off. And only once had he seen her fall from A-Un, and that had been a deliberate attack by Naraku to get her.

"Kagome, I need you to go to Sango and Miroku's!" he said running in and helping his mate to her feet. Sesshōmaru's eyes snapped open, his breathing no less ragged as he winced.

"Oh no! you stay!" Kagome shrieked.

"He's not going to stay wench!" InuYasha hissed as he helped her, they both watched, a bit confused as Sesshōmaru seemed to find the strength to walk. InuYasha got Kagome dressed and ran her to Miroku's hut. The monk and taijiya were long since awake, though they were trying to coral their brood of kids. He set her down when Sango greeted him.

"Stay here," he said. "I'm going to go see what was going on with Rin," he said.

Darting out of the hut he didn't care about his state of undress as he followed his brother. Sesshōmaru had dragged the Tenseiga with him, when A-Un appeared.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" InuYasha demanded when his brother had to stop to catch his breath against a tree. Sesshōmaru's tired eyes glared up at him from beneath the bangs. InuYasha was a bit unnerved seeing his brother in this state.

In the last eight years he and Sesshōmaru had come to terms of sorts, though InuYasha still wasn't entirely certain where he stood with his brother. Still, they had formed some form of friendship, even if InuYasha knew next to nothing about his brother. Sesshōmaru was not talkative. Rin's exploits with Sesshōmaru didn't reveal much either, at least about what Sesshōmaru did when he wasn't around or what battles he fought, and the yōkai InuYasha had met lately didn't just revere his brother they worshiped him. More and more InuYasha had noticed that.

Looking at his brother now he sensed that he was missing something big here because his alpha reeked of panic; honestly InuYasha had only scented that once on his brother. That one time had been when Setsuna no Takemaru was controlled by Sō'unga and they had taken Rin. In fact, it was only well after the battle that he had placed that scent, placed why his brother had been in that dangerous hurry; in so much of a hurry he hadn't been able to be goaded into a fight, even willing to use him to work together to get to Rin; Sesshōmaru had been panicked. He seemed panicked now despite his perfect indifference; even injured as he was.

"You reek of panic," InuYasha stated, glad he was in a tree and able to get out of Sesshōmaru's way if his brother unleashed his temper. Sesshōmaru's temper; InuYasha had learned in his long life; was easily the most dangerous thing to provoke, and it was lethal, and having been on it's receiving end before he wasn't keen to get there again.

Sesshōmaru snarled lowly. "Watch your tongue half-breed!" he growled as he leaned on A-Un and started after Rin again. InuYasha sighed as he leapt down and slunk to his brother's side, forcing Sesshōmaru to lean on him. They saw Rin struggling to stay upright but something seemed to be dragging her into the well.

"RIN!" Sesshōmaru shouted, he seemed to find some strength as he shoved off InuYasha and leapt for Rin just as the girl let out a shriek and went tumbling into the well.

"FUCK!" InuYasha was a half a second slow to respond as his brother crashed onto the lip of the well, forcing himself up, InuYasha landed on it and looked down it.

"RIN!" Sesshōmaru roared down the well.

"You stay," InuYasha said, the scent his brother's blood was filling the air and honestly InuYasha was nervous that Sesshōmaru was about to pass out from blood loss as Kagome termed it. Leaping down the well he felt it's long endless pull but then he landed on the bottom of it.

The dirt was cold to the touch, and there were no signs of Rin. He was stunned as he looked around, there was no scent of Rin!

All InuYasha found was a small hair ornament, one of the many Sesshōmaru had given her, it glittered at the bottom of the well as if it were a star, strangely enough it was tied with a bit of red thread he didn't understand as he leapt back up.

"She's… she's…" he stammered, his brother's look was not the indifferent Sesshōmaru, but rather a look InuYasha couldn't describe, but the scent was unmistakable.

Anguish, devastation, loss, pain. All scents he hadn't noticed missing from Sesshōmaru's scent for the past eight years, but now it came crashing back to him. This was the scent of his brother for as long as he had known him, and there was something about it, which was now infinitely more terrifying.

The growl was low, and then it was shaking the ground as Sesshōmaru stared down the well.

InuYasha didn't know what to do, even as he flattened his ears and instinctively ran for his own mate. The blast of Sesshōmaru's daiyōkai energy though had an upheaval hitting the forest with a savage fury akin to a wild fire. The morning looked more bleak again as yet another storm rolled in.


Year 1308...

Somewhere near Setsuna Castle...

Izayoi saw this strange, muddy lump in the river bed, which had her carefully picking her way down towards the form, perhaps it was a soldier or a villager, she didn't know, but she was still compelled to check.

The form was small, slight, and a lot of black hair was tangled about the person. Moving some of the mud away Izayoi blinked seeing the drenched form of a small woman! There was blood, and she was dressed rather strangely.

The girl's eyes snapped open and she snarled ferally, she was fast knocking Izayoi back as she staggered to her feet, a blade in hand. She stared at the girl, she had a very unusual and she staggered.

"Who… who are you?" the girl gasped, but she collapsed back into the mud.

The blade's sheath tumbled out of her sleeve and Izayoi carefully got up, the girl hadn't released her blade, but she was shaking violently as she lay there drenched and the misting rain didn't relent.

Izayoi saw the bruises, the faded scars, and the new wounds.

"KATO!" she shouted. "Bring the horse!" she shouted as she struggled to gather up the woman. Sheathing the blade and grabbing it with the girl she struggled with the weight. The soaked garments were probably most the weight on this girl.

"Izayoi-sama!" Kato appeared. "Great Buddha!"

Kato effortlessly hoisted up the girl and walked to the horses. Izayoi moved, with Kato's aid to remove the sword on her hip, it was so awkward though, and when they were finally able to reach it, a burn laced through Izayoi's fingers. She cried out and left it in the girl's sash.

"Izayoi-sama!?" Kato came to her.

"I am fine, but we must get her to Setsuna!" Izayoi decided. She noticed the blood on Kato's armor and her own garments. They needed to get her out of here right now.